Since becoming a shortlisted candidate, over the past six weeks I have had numerous conversations and received many questions over the nature of the role and how the new PCCs might add to, rather than subtract from, policing and community safety in England and Wales. Whether these new positions will actually be a new model of superlative public service governance will, of course, be tested in the months following November.

The public, rather than just party members, will soon be given the chance to quiz the official PCC candidates. So here is a baker's dozen more questions' for PCC candidates, drawn from my experience so far:

1. How will you really add value to the police service and other parts of the criminal justice system?

2. Who will you want in your team and why?

3. What will you do about alleged institutional racism in the police service, and what action will you take to tackle it?

4. Much is talked about the PCCs being electorally accountable, but that is only every four years. What will you do in between elections to remain accountable to the public that you will represent?

5. How will you balance the significant centralising power that you as PCC will have with the fact that crime and community safety issues are often very localised and particular?

6. What is your view of the proposed powers of the National Crime Agency will have, enabling it to require support from local police forces? Are these powers a threat, an opportunity or do they make no difference to the integrity of the force you hope to lead?

7. There is a widespread view that PCCs risk "over-politicising" the police and community safety services, not least among senior and junior police officers and staff. How will you handle this?

8. What do you imagine you will actually do from day to day?

9. Putting aside the budget for the police service itself, you will have significant other resources to be used to fund initiatives and services designed to prevent crime and improve community safety. How will you decide how to cut that cake?

10. The distinction between the PCC's strategic role and the chief constable's operational independence is clearly stated in the statute. However in practice this boundary could well be more blurred. Where will it be most blurred?

11. What is your view of target setting, aspirational aims and SMART goals?

12. What do you plan to be your main contribution to improving the performances of the services that you will lead, fund or influence?

13. What do you hope to achieve in your first 100 days?

Jon Harvey is a leadership and strategy adviser, a town councillor in Buckingham and isshortlisted to be the Labour candidate for the Thames Valley police and crime commissioner